Smoke and gas consuming fire box for locomotives



March 16 .1926.

' J. A. CONNELL SMOKE AND GAS CONSUMING FIRE BQX FOR LOCOMOTIVES 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed July 11, 1925 v 9.1mm

01 4. Cozznei Gunmen:

March 16 1926.

' 1,577,175 J. A CONNELL.

' SMOKE AND GAS CONSUMING FIRE BOX FOR LOCOMOTIVES for.

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11 1925 am m Patented Mar. 16, .1926,

UNITED STATES tw ns 7 JAMES A. CONNELL, OF PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SMOKE AND ens GONSUMING FIRE BOX ron Locoaro rrvns.

Application filed J fuly ll, 1925. Serial No."43,014. j

To all whom it may concern." 7

Be it known that I, JAMEs A. GONNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittston, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSmoke and Gas Consuming Fire Boxes for Locomotives, of which the following is aspecificatio-n.

The present invention appertains to an improved smoke and gas consuming fire box for locomotives, and hasfor its principal object to provide a structure of this nature which will consume far less fuel than the ordinary structures now in common use.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a structure of this nature having lmproved features whereby a more perfect combustion of thefuel is obtained, thereby consuming the smoke and gas which is utilized as this fuel.

Another important object of the invention is to incorporate an improved fire box structure in a locomotive boiler so as to eliminate numerous unnecessary pipes, elbows, and the like which are used in the ordinary conventional construction. 1 A still further very. important object of the invention is to generally improve upon a boiler structure ofthis nature by providing an exceedingly simple construction which may be manufactured at a low cost, one which is strong, durable, thoroughly reliable and efficient in use, and otherwise very well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

lVith the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed; L In the-drawingz- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved structure, 1 Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof taken substantially on the, line '22 of Figure 1, y I Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section therethrougli,

Figure 4: is an enlarged detail section showing a modification,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section through one of the upper headers and the wall resting thereon, and

' Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section through the device similar to Figure 2, but showing the modification shown in Figure l.

Referring to the drawing in detail'it will be seen that the boilerincludes the usual casing 5 having disposed in the rear por- -tion thereof a crown sheet indicated generally by the letter A, and including a crown top 6, sides 7 rear plate 8, and the front plate 9 -which forms a flue plate for receiving aplurality of flues 10,. "Afgrate supporting 5 structure is indicated generally by the numeral 11, and includes grates 12 of ordinary constructions which are disposed a distance to the sides of the longitudinal dimension of the grate [supporting structure. The crown sheet 'A, the grate supporting structure and the front walls 20' confine the fire box. Below the grate supporting structure there is a suitable ash pit 13. g

The grate supporting structure 11 is horizontally disposed. On this gratesupport-ing structure adjacent the inner sides'of the grates 12 there are vertically disposed two water grates indicated generally by the letters B.- Each water grate B includes, an

upper header 15, and a lower header 16 which are connected by vertically disposed S-shape'd tubes 17 If desired, these water grates may be raised from the grate sup porting structure 11 by building a brick wall under the lower header upon the grate supporting structure. The upper headers 15 communicate with the rear end of the boiler through the rear plate 8, and cleaning plugs 19 are provided in the rear of the casing 5 aligned with the upper. headers. It is apparent that by taking out these plugs repairs may be made in the'structure, or the upper the water grates and the space between walls I 20'built thereabove to the top 6 of the crown erably flattened as is indicated at 21 in headers may be cleaned. The space between 1. V v

order that the walls 20 may be built thereon.

,These walls 20 may be reinforced if desired.

Apluralityof plugs 23 are provided in the upper headers 15 in order that'access may be had to the interior of the tubes 17 for obvious reasons. The lower headers 16 ex tend through the sheet 9 to communicate with the front of the boiler. The water, therefore, will circulate downwardly in the boiler among the flue tubes 10, through the lower headers 16, upwardly through the S-shapcd tubes 17, through the upper headers 15, into the rear end of the boiler.

The tire box has a pair of upper passages therein so that the fuel may be thrown thereinto, and doors 26 are associated therewith. Passages 2T communicate with the bottom portions of the tire box and have doors 28 associated therewith. A peep passage :39 is provided for the combustion chamber and has a door 30 associated therewith.

Plugs 31 are provided in the back sheet of the casing 5 in alignmentwith the lower headers 16. The front end of the lower headers are plugged as is indicated at 2-32. Plugs all are provided in the front portions of the boiler in order that the lower headers may beclean. A baflle plate35 is provided to the front of the fire box a distance. from the sheet 9 and the walls 20, and is spaced from the top a, and sides 7 of the crown A. This distributes the heat so that it will be evenly divided among the flue tubes 10.

A plurality of draft tubes 37 extend through the sides of the casing 5 and through the sides 7 of the crown sheet A, It will thus be seenthat the gas and smoke cannot escape from above the tire on the grates 12, but must pass through the fuel and through the water grates, that is through the flame of the tire and be consumed. Thus the smoke and gases are utilized as fuel.

Referring nowparticularly to the modification shown in Figure 4, it will be seen that the lower headers 16 are provided at their rear ends with reduced extensions 39. thereby forming shoulders at 39. These extensions terminate cxteriorly of the easing 5, and plugs 40 are provided in the ends thereof, thereby doing away with the ne cessity of using two )lugs 31 and 32 as de scribed. with the pre. erred embodiment.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility, and advantages of this invention will now be clearly understotxl without a more detailed descriition thereof. The

present embodiments o the invention have been disclosed merely by way of examples, since in actual practice they attain the features of advantages enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention, and the above description.

It is apparent, however, that numerous changes in the details of construction, in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described what I claim as new is:

i. In a. locomotive boiler, a plurality of fine tubes in the forward portion thereof, a crown sheet including a front wall receiving the flue tubes, a pairof sides, and a rear sheet, thereby forming a tire box, a grate supporting structure in the bottom of the tire box horizontally disposed, grates in the supporting structure, one to each side of the median longitudinal dimension thereof, a pair of water grates disposed vertically in the fire box and extending longitudinally thereof in spaced relation to form a combustion chamber tlIOYtdJGtWGGD, walls rising from the water grates to the top of the crown sheet, and a plurality of draft tubes communicating the sides of the fire box with my invention,

the exterior, and a battle plate disposed in t the fire box to the front of the combustion chamber and to the rear of the plate supporting the ends of the line tubes.

52. In a locomotive boiler, a plurality of flue tubes in the forward portion thereof, Y

a crown sheet including a front wall receiving the flue tubes, a pair of sides, and a rear sheet, thereby forming a fire box, a grate supporting structure in the bottom of the tire box horizontally disposed, grates in the supporting structure, one to each side of the median longitudinal dimension thereof, a pair of water grates disposed vertically in the tire box and extending longitudinallv thereof in spaced relation to form a (nai bastion chamber therebetween, walls rising from the water grates to the top of the crown sheet, and a plurality of draft tubes connnunicating the sides of the fire box with the exterior, and a battle plate disposed in the tire box to the front of the combustion chamber and to the rear of the plate su iporting the ends of the flue tubes, each water grate comprising an upper header, a lower header. a plurality of S-shaped tubes connecting the headers, the lower headers resting on the grate su 'niorting structure.

- JAMES A. CONN ELL. 

